Rebuilding an In-Person Business After a Multi-State Move with Ryann Doria
If you've ever packed up your entire life, your business, and three kids and moved across the country with six days' notice — first of all, are you okay? Second of all, you and Ryann Doria would get along just fine.
On this episode of The Chaotic Middle, I got to chat with Ryann Doria, the owner of Ryann Kristena Events an alternative wedding planning business based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ryann is a mom of three (an 11-year-old and six-year-old twins), a former theater tech turned event planning powerhouse, and someone who has built her business not once, but essentially twice after relocating from Orange County, California to Utah with almost no runway and absolutely zero hesitation.
She's proof that the path is never linear. And honestly? That's what makes it interesting.
From Stage Lights to Wedding Nights
Ryann's journey into wedding planning didn't start with a bridal magazine or a Pinterest board. It started backstage.
From middle school through high school, Ryann was deep in the theater world, tech, design, stage management, all of it. She started working professionally in theater tech, and then life did what life does: she had her first child and immediately knew she wasn't leaving her.
"My wonderful husband was like, 'Okay, you can be a stay-at-home mom.' And I was like, 'Thank you so much.' And it was fabulous."
About a year in, the conversation shifted toward also bringing in some income. Right around that time, she saw a post from an old friend from her theater days about needing day-of assistants for her wedding planning business. Ryann saw it, did the math (fun + friend + event experience = yes), and reached out.
The first wedding she assisted on was, by her own description, one of the most insane she's ever been a part of.
She was hooked immediately.
She worked alongside her friend for years, soaking in every minute of learning, growing, and eventually leading events of her own. When she was ready, she launched Ryann Kristena Events with a specific focus: alternative and non-traditional weddings and events. The kind of couples who don't want the traditional experience. The ones who want something that actually looks and feels like them.
The Move That Changed Everything (In Six Days)
Here's where the story gets genuinely wild.
Ryann's husband had a job interview. The company didn't have anything local, but it did have something in Salt Lake City. Would they be willing to move? They negotiated moving expenses, got a yes, looked at each other, and said — let's go.
Six days later, the moving truck arrived.
"Like literally, six days later, the moving truck came and we moved. Absolute bonkers."
For most people, moving across the country is a months-long logistical undertaking. For Ryann, it was a gut decision made in an instant, which, if you know anything about her personality by now, tracks completely.
But here's the thing about moving your business across the country when your business depends on being physically present, building vendor relationships, and knowing your market: you're essentially starting over. All that reputation, all those vendor connections, all that hard-won knowledge of what clients in your area want and what they'll spend — gone. Reset. Begin again.
"I have all of this experience, but out here I'm brand new."
The market differences have been significant. In Orange County, weddings are booked 1 to 2 years out with substantial budgets. In Salt Lake City, Ryann met couples at a wedding expo who had gotten engaged on Valentine's Day and were planning to get married in June. Of that year. The budgets are different. The style of celebration is also different. Many Utah receptions are flowing, drop-in affairs rather than seated dinners. And the alternative wedding market, while it exists in Salt Lake, works with considerably smaller budgets than Ryann is used to.
It's been an adjustment. But she's figuring it out one vendor relationship, one networking event, and one booked wedding at a time.
The Internal Pressure Nobody Talks About
One of the most honest moments in this conversation came when I asked Ryann whether she felt internal pressure to perform at the same level she was at in California, even though she logically knew that wasn't a fair expectation.
"My logical brain will flip on and be like, 'No, you're okay.' And the other part is like, 'But you've been doing this for so long. Why aren't you further?' And it's real fun."
This is the tension that so many business owners carry, and so few talk about openly. The knowledge that your circumstances have changed doesn't automatically quiet the voice that's comparing your current output to your peak. Ryann built her California client base over years of networking, relationship-building, and consistent showing up. She's had one year in Utah. Logically, she knows that. Emotionally, it's a different story.
She's also navigating a real pricing question: does she adjust her rates to match a lower-budget market, or does she hold her pricing and work harder to find the clients who can meet it? Because at a maximum of 20 events per year, the math has to work. Otherwise, as she put it plainly, "This becomes a hobby. And I’m not trying to have a hobby."
The 4D Planning Framework (And Why Your Wedding Needs a Coordinator)
If you've ever planned a wedding, you know that what looks like a beautiful, effortless day on the outside is actually a logistical miracle on the inside. Ryann has built her full-service planning process around what she calls the 4D Framework:
Development: Building the foundation: budget, guest list, key vendors
Design: The pretty part: florals, rentals, aesthetic details
Details: Timeline building, load-in and load-out logistics, all the little things most couples never think about
Day Of: On-site coordination to make sure everything runs exactly as planned, so the couple doesn't have to think about a single thing
The framework is intentionally phase-based rather than strictly linear because Ryann's brain (possibly ADHD, self-diagnosed) works in concepts and stages rather than rigid steps. It's a planning system built for how humans actually think, not how we wish we thought.
And then there's her 3C Coordination Framework for couples who don't need or want full planning services, but absolutely need someone in charge on the day itself.
"Somebody other than you, other than mom, aunt Susie, cousin Joanne — someone else needs to be the contact on wedding day. You shouldn't even have your phone with you. Leave it in the dressing room and be present."
Her take? Not every couple needs a full wedding planner. Many people are Type A, have a planner best friend, or simply have the time and desire to do it themselves. That's completely valid. But every single couple needs a coordinator. Someone whose only job that day is to make sure everyone is where they need to be, when they need to be there, so the couple can actually enjoy the wedding they spent so long planning.
For the record, I did not have a coordinator at my own wedding, and I can confirm that we were absolutely not on schedule.
Kids, Chaos, and Content Creation
Ryann involves her kids in her business wherever she can, and the results are genuinely adorable.
Her six-year-old twins help stuff goodie bags and assemble faux floral garlands. Her 11-year-old has assisted at a wedding, helped with a baby shower, and is already talking about potentially adding custom-baked goods to the mix one day. And at a venue open house, Ryann's younger daughter grabbed her phone and spent the entire event documenting behind-the-scenes content.
"Some of it is very clearly done by a six-year-old. But some of it is very cute."
Beyond the adorable factor, Ryann is intentional about what it means for her kids to see her work. Her husband is also a musician with a recording studio and a label, so from both sides, her children are growing up watching their parents pursue both traditional careers and passion projects simultaneously.
"They see all the options. There are different ways to be successful, and it's not always a linear path."
That's a gift. And it's one that doesn't get talked about enough when we discuss the hard parts of working from home with kids: the fact that they're watching. All the time. And absorbing more than we realize.
Answering the Chaotic Questions
At the end of every episode, I ask each guest the same three questions. Here's how Ryann answered:
If you could go back and talk to your 2005 self, what would you tell her?
"Keep going. Babe, you're doing great. This is necessary. It doesn't feel like that now. Do not quit. Keep going. It will help you later in life."
A new mom comes to you for advice. What's the first thing you tell her?
"Don't make a plan. Embrace the chaos and don't fight against it. Give yourself grace. It's not going to be the way that you want it to be, and that's okay. It'll be the way it needs to be for this phase of your life. And it won't last forever."
What do you hope your kids remember about you as their mom?
"How much I love them and how much I genuinely like want to be around them. I hope they realize it comes from a place of love and privilege that they get to be with me so much."
Where to Find Ryann
You can find Ryann and her work at Ryann Kristena Events and on Instagram. Just remember, it's Ryann with two N's and Christina with a K. Her weddings are stunning, and worth a follow even if you're nowhere near planning one.
She also recently launched The I Do Collective, a wedding planning course built for couples who want to plan their own wedding but need a solid roadmap to do it. Whether you want full planning, day-of coordination, or the tools to tackle it yourself, Ryann has something for you.
And yes, she will travel. She's already planned weddings in five different states and is actively looking to add more to the list.
Ready to Hear More Stories Like This?
Chatting with Ryann was just so much fun. We had literally just met, but it felt like I knew her forever. She is down-to-earth, funny, and totally great at what she does. If you are planning an event any time soon, definitely reach out to her!
If this conversation inspired you, you're going to love The Chaotic Middle podcast, where we feature real stories from real people navigating the beautiful mess of work, life, motherhood, and everything in between.
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